Walter Penderghast
Walter Penderghast is a human male NPC in the Emeron campaign. Summary Walter Penderghast is a bookbinder from Emeron City. He is the father of Froderik Penderghast and one of the Joined of Yotia. Background Walter came from a family of bookbinders and carried on the family tradition. After finishing his apprenticeship, he found work with a printing house in Emeron City and soon thereafter met Molly Vaughn at a market day while she was selling wool. The two fell in love and it was not long before Molly was pregnant. The two began their family and eventually Walter was able to save up enough to open his own bookbindery in the city after his employer retired. Walter and Molly ultimately ended up having seven children all of whom they struggled to support and encourage in their future endeavors. History On the 22nd of Griffon, 1159 there was a huge flash of light and Walter found himself in the countryside, near the estate of Nuqwell along the rest of the Joined of Yotia. They quickly assessed they were linked to one another and desired to figure out what could be done on the matter. Mantie and Vigga suggested traveling to the Thorgain Kingdom to seek aid there but Walter argued that Emeron City was far closer, at as good or superior magical resources and Walter had a home and contacts with wizards there. These arguments were persuasive and they made for the capital instead. The Joined arrived in Emeron two days later as the city was awash in riots and crackdowns in light of the explosion at Strade Hall that occurred when Yotia's Avatar was destroyed and exacerbated by the recent death of King Koris Woodbridge. They managed to reach the Penderghast home and Walter sent a message to Jon Sumnim and Jaymes Chickwood, both professors at the Emeron Wizard's College that he knew because his son Froderik was a student there. The professors examined the Joined, but advised they needed to further research their findings. After consulting with the Great White Wizard Dillman the two figured out that they had pieces of the Avatar of Yotia, which had been destroyed, grafted to their souls. While Walter and the Joined waited for the professor's findings, they were attacked in the Penderghast home by mysterious agents seeking them. The Joined barely managed to get away, thanks in large part to the heroics of Mantirandaubelle. Unexpectedly, a short time later the City Watch arrested Walter's entire family, installing them in the dungeons of Castle Finarte. Sumnim and Chickwood quickly figured out that the Crown was after the Joined of Yotia, and due to the suspected corruption at the Royal Court strongly suspected that it was to slay them. They arranged a hiding place for the rest of the Joined of Yotia in one of Sumnim's properties in the city while they worked with to secure a means to smuggle the Joined out of the city. Walter, however, refused to depart until his family was safe. Prodigal Son Returns On the 22nd of Lion, 1159 the Joined of Vesper, among whom was Walter's son Froderik, arrived in Emeron City. Aware that the Crown and assassins sought them as well, Dillman made arrangements for a secret rendezvous to bring them together with the Joined of Yotia. Walter was thrilled to see his son again, in spite of Froderik's frustration that Walter had not already affected an jailbreak for his family. Walter explained that many of the Joined of Yotia were not warriors, and that the allies who were helping them could only do so much. Froderik apologized and the groups set to work to free the Penderghasts from the dungeons of Castle Finarte. Jailbreak and Betrayal On the 25th of Lion, 1159 the Joined of Vesper, aided by Mantirandaubelle, Pherey Biggsby and Aynad from the Joined of Yotia, snuck into the dungeons of Castle Finarte after being provided a map through the sewers by Trista Ravenlark. Walter intended to go, but Froderik convinced him not to, as Walter lacked any sort of martial training. The night before one of the Joined of Yotia, Joane, snuck out of Sumnim's safehouse and went to the Crown, looking to turn in the Joined of Vesper, the rest of the Joined of Yotia, as well as those in the city who were helping them. She demanded a large reward for her efforts, as well as a way to be severed from Yotia and return to her life as normal. The crown organized a raid on the safehouse as well as the arrest of Dillman, Sumnim, Chickwood, Trista and Klaron Shatterstone and then murdered Joane. Walter was present for the raid on Sumnim's safehouse and was forced to try to defend himelf alongside the rest of the Joined of Yotia, Rongul Ruddletater and Rolla, Briac Youngblood's canine companion They were nearly killed, but fortunately word was able to get to Chickwood in time for him to magically teleport to the safehouse and put the attackers to sleep. He then transported everyone to the Hemlock Tops Forest to regroup. The group affecting the prison break were ultimately successful, though because of Joane's betrayal they were all nearly killed as well. Overjoyed that his family was safe, Walter profusely thanked those that had rescued him and tearfully bid Froderik farewell. In the Thorgain Kingdom Walter, along with the rest of the Penderghasts and the Joined of Yotia were smuggled to the Kingdom of Thorgain by Trista Ravenlark, who had arranged sanctuary in the capital with Martok Stonecutter, a high ranking priest of Clangeddin. While there, a pair of dwarven assassins attempted to attack the Joined in the middle of the night. Pherey Biggsby and Archibald Penderghast fought the attckers off while the others sounded the alarm. WIth the church roused, the priests of Clangeddin quickly found and killed the attackers before they were able to leave church grounds. Martok launched an immediate investigation, which the Joined of Yotia assisted with. The assailants turned out to be lowlife thugs and criminals hired hastily by a go-between. It took several days of running down leads in the less savory parts of Thorgain City, however Walter proved quite good at putting together the clues that were uncovered and was instrumental in revealing the true culprit: Dulmor Earthmantle, an adviser to Thane King Farim Ironbreaker himself. Martok took the intelligence to the Crown and the king ordered Dulmor's immediate arrest, however the culprit manged to slip away before the authorities closed in on him, seeming to vanish overnight. It was only weeks later when the Joined of Vesper came to Thorgain City with the real Dulmor Earthmantle that it was realized the true culprit was a Spider Person impostor who had been serving in the Royal Court for decades. Meeting with the Joined of Vesper In late Bear of 1159, Walter and the rest of the Joined of Yotia were approached by Ambassador Throt Goldaxe. He advised them that the Joined of Vesper had magically sent him a message warning (belatedly as it turned out) of Dulmor Earthmantle and that they would soon be in the City and requested a clandestine meeting. The Ambassador suggested one of the Joined of Yotia attend. Eager to see his son Froderik, Walter volunteered immediately. The meeting took place on the evening of the 23rd, with Jaymes Chickwood and Trista Ravenlark also in attendance. Walter was disappointed to learn that Froderik was temporarily gone due to his connection to Vesper. The meeting was interrupted by the dragon Starr, in human form, who informed them that the Alliance had approached several of the Chromatic dragons and asked them to enter the War of Alliance on their side. Starr warned that if Sumnim and Chickwood did not hand over the gem that had been taken from Mingolf the Soulcrusher and stop interfering in the conflict, that they would do so. Personality and Abilities Walter is a thin, attractive man with graying dark hair and green eyes. He is an intelligent, honest man who values a hard day’s work, with a dry sense of humor that often goes over the heads of others. Walter his little in the way of martial abilities or magic, though his link to Yotia allows him to protect himself against certain magics and to know the location of a person or thing unerringly one a day. Walter is also a skilled bookbinder and scribe and as an avid reader he also reads heavily, giving him a decent working knowledge of history, nature and religious lore. Category:Characters Category:Emeron Category:NPCs